Abstract
Baicalein and wogonin, two health-promoting flavonoid aglycones in Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi roots, have better bioactivity and bioavailability than their glycoside precursors (baicalin and wogonoside). The search for novel microorganisms for the fermentation of S. baicalensis roots to improve the yields of baicalein and wogonin is of great interest in the food and nutraceutical industries. In this study, a novel endophytic fungus (Penicillium rubens) capable of producing cellulase (0.82 ± 0.12 U/mL) and β-glucosidase (4.55 ± 0.97 U/mL) was used to ferment S. baicalensis roots to obtain high yields of baicalein and wogonin. Semi-solid-state fermentation with homogeneous fungal cultures was found to be the appropriate strategy. Under the optimal fermentation parameters (temperature 30 °C, inoculation dose of fungal cultures 4 mL/g, and time 60 h), the yields of baicalein and wogonin (46.95 ± 4.98 mg/g DW and 31.41 ± 9.36 mg/g DW) from S. baicalensis roots were tremendously increased by 16.13-fold and 15.47-fold over control, respectively. Results of industrial enzyme bioprocessing and scanning electron microscope indicated that the remarkable increase in aglycone product yields could be due to the synergistic effects of cellulase and β-glucosidase produced by P. rubens on cell wall hydrolysis and glycoside deglycosylation. In addition, extracts of S. baicalensis roots fermented by P. rubens showed a significant increase in antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Overall, the semi-solid-state fermentation of S. baicalensis roots using the novel P. rubens was an effective strategy that could yield high quantities of baicalein and wogonin, which had promising potential in the food and nutraceutical industries.
Graphical Abstract
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
Data may be made available on request.
References
Ajila, C. M., Gassara, F., Brar, S. K., Verma, M., Tyagi, R. D., & Valéro, J. R. (2011). Polyphenolic antioxidant mobilization in apple pomace by different methods of solid-state fermentation and evaluation of its antioxidant activity. Food and Bioprocess Technology, 5(7), 2697–2707. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-011-0582-y
Alhomodi, A., Zavadil, A., Berhow, M., Gibbons, W., & Karki, B. (2021). Daily development of nutritional composition of canola sprouts followed by solid-state fungal fermentation. Food and Bioprocess Technology, 14(9), 1673–1683. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-021-02667-2
Almeida, J. M., Lima, V. A., Giloni-Lima, P. C., & Knob, A. (2015). Passion fruit peel as novel substrate for enhanced β-glucosidases production by Penicillium verruculosum: Potential of the crude extract for biomass hydrolysis. Biomass and Bioenergy, 72, 216–226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2014.11.002
Bai, C., Yang, J., Cao, B., Xue, Y., Gao, P., Liang, H., & Li, G. (2020). Growth years and post-harvest processing methods have critical roles on the contents of medicinal active ingredients of Scutellaria baicalensis. Industrial Crops and Products, 158, 112985. https://doi.org/10.1016/10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.112985
Bai, H., Zi, H., Huang, Y., Han, M., Irfan, M., Liu, N., Yang, J., Wang, H., & Han, X. (2017). Catalytic properties of carboxymethyl cellulase produced from newly isolated novel fungus Penicillium ochrochloron ZH1 in submerged fermentation. Catalysis Letters, 147, 2013–2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10562-017-2119-0
Beitel, S. M., & Knob, A. (2013). Penicillium miczynskii β-glucosidase: A glucose-tolerant enzyme produced using pineapple peel as substrate. Industrial Biotechnology, 9(5), 293–300. https://doi.org/10.1089/ind.2013.0016
Bhadra, F., Gupta, A., Vasundhara, M., & Reddy, M. S. (2022). Endophytic fungi: A potential source of industrial enzyme producers. 3 Biotech, 12(4), 86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-022-03145-y
Choudhary, M., Gupta, S., Dhar, M. K., & Kaul, S. (2021). Endophytic fungi-mediated biocatalysis and biotransformations paving the way toward green chemistry. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, 9, 664705. https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2021.664705
Da Costa, S. G., Pereira, O. L., Teixeira-Ferreira, A., Valente, R. H., de Rezende, S. T., Guimaraes, V. M., & Genta, F. A. (2018). Penicillium citrinum UFV1 β-glucosidases: Purification, characterization, and application for biomass saccharification. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 11, 226. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-018-1226-5
Dong, L., Fu, Y., Zu, Y., Luo, M., Wang, W., Li, X., & Li, J. (2012). Application of cavitation system to accelerate the endogenous enzymatic hydrolysis of baicalin and wogonoside in Radix Scutellariae. Food Chemistry, 131(4), 1422–1429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.10.013
Gai, Q., Jiao, J., Luo, M., Wang, W., Yao, L., & Fu, Y. (2017). Deacetylation biocatalysis and elicitation by immobilized Penicillium canescens in Astragalus membranaceus hairy root cultures: Towards the enhanced and sustainable production of astragaloside IV. Plant Biotechnology Journal, 15(3), 297–305. https://doi.org/10.1111/pbi.12612
Guo, H., Chen, H., Fan, L., Linklater, A., Zheng, B., Jiang, D., & Qin, W. (2017). Enzymes produced by biomass-degrading bacteria can efficiently hydrolyze algal cell walls and facilitate lipid extraction. Renewable Energy, 109, 195–201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2017.03.025
Gupta, A., & Jana, A. K. (2019). Production of laccase by repeated batch semi-solid fermentation using wheat straw as substrate and support for fungal growth. Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, 42(3), 499–512. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00449-018-2053-6
Gupta, S., Chaturvedi, P., Kulkarni, M. G., & van Staden, J. (2020). A critical review on exploiting the pharmaceutical potential of plant endophytic fungi. Biotechnology Advances, 39, 107462. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2019.107462
Havermann, S., Rohrig, R., Chovolou, Y., Humpf, H. U., & Watjen, W. (2013). Molecular effects of baicalein in Hct116 cells and Caenorhabditis elegans: Activation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway and prolongation of lifespan. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 61(9), 2158–2164. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf304553g
Huang, F., Zhang, X., Li, W. H., Zhao, Y., Mu, Q., Wang, X., & Wang, Y. (2022). Discovery of conversion driven by β-glucuronidase from flavone glycoside to aglycone and application in identifying the raw Scutellariae Radix. Arabian Journal of Chemistry, 15(11), 104216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arabjc.2022.104216
Jiao, J., Gai, Q., Fu, Y., Ma, W., Peng, X., Tan, S., & Efferth, T. (2014). Efficient production of isoflavonoids by Astragalus membranaceus hairy root cultures and evaluation of antioxidant activities of extracts. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 62(52), 12649–12658. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf503839m
Jin, S., Luo, M., Wang, W., Zhao, C., Gu, C., Li, C., Zu, Y., Fu, Y., & Guan, Y. (2013). Biotransformation of polydatin to resveratrol in Polygonum cuspidatum roots by highly immobilized edible Aspergillus niger and yeast. Bioresource Technology, 136, 766–770. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2013.03.027
Jing, L., Zhao, S., Xue, J. L., Zhang, Z., Yang, Q., Xian, L., & Feng, J. (2015). Isolation and characterization of a novel Penicillium oxalicum strain Z1–3 with enhanced cellobiohydrolase production using cellulase-hydrolyzed sugarcane bagasse as carbon source. Industrial Crops and Products, 77, 666–675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2015.09.052
Johari, J., Kianmehr, A., Mustafa, M. R., Abubakar, S., & Zandi, K. (2012). Antiviral activity of baicalein and quercetin against the Japanese encephalitis virus. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 13(12), 16785–16795. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms131216785
Khochapong, W., Ketnawa, S., Ogawa, Y., & Punbusayakul, N. (2021). Effect of in vitro digestion on bioactive compounds, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) pulp aqueous extract. Food Chemistry, 348, 129094. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129094
Li, H., Dou, M., Wang, X., Guo, N., Kou, P., Jiao, J., & Fu, Y. (2021). Optimization of cellulase production by a novel endophytic fungus Penicillium oxalicum R4 isolated from Taxus cuspidata. Sustainability, 13, 6006. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13116006
Liu, H., Ye, F., Sun, Q., Liang, H., Li, C., Li, S., Lu, R., Huang, B., Tan, W., & Lai, L. (2021b). Scutellaria baicalensis extract and baicalein inhibit replication of SARS-CoV-2 and its 3C-like protease in vitro. Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry, 36(1), 497–503. https://doi.org/10.1080/14756366.2021.1873977
Liu, X., Zhou, Z., Cui, J., Wang, M., & Wang, J. (2021a). Biotransformation ability of endophytic fungi: From species evolution to industrial applications. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 105(19), 7095–7113. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-021-11554-x
Lu, Y., Joerger, R., & Wu, C. (2011). Study of the chemical composition and antimicrobial activities of ethanolic extracts from roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 59(20), 10934–10942. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf202741x
Miao, N., Yun, C., Han, S., Shi, Y., Gao, Y., Wu, S., Zhao, Z., Wang, H., & Wang, W. (2022). Postharvest UV-A radiation affects flavonoid content, composition, and bioactivity of Scutellaria baicalensis root. Postharvest Biology and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.postharvbio.2022.111933
Prasanna, H. N., Ramanjaneyulu, G., & Rajasekhar Reddy, B. (2016). Optimization of cellulase production by Penicillium sp. 3 Biotech, 6, 162. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-016-0483-x
Puri, M., Sharma, D., & Barrow, C. J. (2012). Enzyme-assisted extraction of bioactives from plants. Trends in Biotechnology, 30(1), 37–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibtech.2011.06.014
Quines-Lagmay, V. C., Jeong, B. G., Kerr, W. L., Choi, S. G., & Chun, J. (2020). Antioxidative properties of eastern prickly pear (Opuntia humifusa) fermented with lactic acid bacteria and cell wall-hydrolyzing enzymes. LWT – Food Science and Technology, 122, 109029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2020.109029
Robl, D., Delabona, P. D. S., Mergel, C. M., Rojas, J. D., Costa, P. D. S., Pimentel, I. C., Vicente, V. A., da Cruz Pradella, J. G., & Padilla, G. (2013). The capability of endophytic fungi for production of hemicellulases and related enzymes. BMC Biotechnology. https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6750-13-94
Sakurama, H., Kishino, S., Uchibori, Y., Yonejima, Y., Ashida, H., Kita, K., Takahashi, S., & Ogawa, J. (2014). Beta-glucuronidase from Lactobacillus brevis useful for baicalin hydrolysis belongs to glycoside hydrolase family 30. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 98(9), 4021–4032. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-013-5325-8
Shin, H. S., Bae, M. J., Jung, S. Y., & Shon, D. H. (2013). Inhibitory effect of skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis) extract on ovalbumin permeation in vitro and in vivo. Food Chemistry, 140(1–2), 22–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.01.042
Suryanarayanan, T. S., Thirunavukkarasu, N., Govindarajulu, M. B., & Gopalan, V. (2012). Fungal endophytes: An untapped source of biocatalysts. Fungal Diversity, 54(1), 19–30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13225-012-0168-7
Tatta, E. R., Imchen, M., Moopantakath, J., & Kumavath, R. (2022). Bioprospecting of microbial enzymes: Current trends in industry and healthcare. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 106(5–6), 1813–1835. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-022-11859-5
Wozniak, D., Drys, A., & Matkowski, A. (2015). Antiradical and antioxidant activity of flavones from Scutellariae baicalensis radix. Natural Product Research, 29(16), 1567–1570. https://doi.org/10.1016/10.1080/14786419.2014.983920
Xiang, H., Zhang, T., Pang, X., Wei, Y., Liu, H., Zhang, Y., Ma, B., & Yu, L. (2018). Isolation of endophytic fungi from Dioscorea zingiberensis C. H. Wright and application for diosgenin production by solid-state fermentation. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 102(13), 5519–5532. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-018-9030-5
Xu, H., Li, S., Liu, J., Cheng, J., Kang, L., Li, W., Zhong, Y., Wei, C., Fu, L., Qi, J., Zhang, Y., You, M., Zhou, Z., Zhang, C., Su, H., Yao, S., Zhou, Z., Shi, Y., Deng, R., … Huang, L. Q. (2023). Bioactive compounds from Huashi Baidu decoction possess both antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects against COVID-19. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 120(18), e2301775120. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2301775120
Xu, X., Lin, M., Zang, Q., & Shi, S. (2018). Solid state bioconversion of lignocellulosic residues by Inonotus obliquus for production of cellulolytic enzymes and saccharification. Bioresource Technology, 247, 88–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2017.08.192
Yang, W., Zhou, J., Harindintwali, J. D., & Yu, X. (2021). Production of minor ginsenosides by combining Stereum hirsutum and cellulase. PLoS ONE, 16(8), e0255899. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255899
Yu, H., Han, Y., Liu, C., Wu, X., Sun, C., Xu, L., & Jin, F. (2020). Preparation of baicalein from baicalin using a baicalin-β-D-glucuronidase from Aspergillus niger b.48 strain. Process Biochemistry, 97, 168–175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procbio.2020.05.030
Zhang, Z., Liu, J., Lan, J., Duan, C., Ma, Q., & Feng, J. (2014). Predominance of Trichoderma and Penicillium in cellulolytic aerobic filamentous fungi from subtropical and tropical forests in China, and their use in finding highly efficient β-glucosidase. Biotechnology for Biofuels. https://doi.org/10.1186/1754-6834-7-107
Zhang, M., Cao, B., Che, L., Liu, L., Su, Y., Zhou, X., Lu, Y., Li, G., & Bai, C. (2023). Post-harvest freezing injury reduces exterior quality of medicinal material and promotes transformation from glycosides to aglycones in Scutellaria baicalensis. Industrial Crops and Products, 201, 116915. https://doi.org/10.1016/10.1016/j.indcrop.2023.116915
Zhang, T., Zhang, Y. H., Yang, J. X., Wang, X. Z., Yang, Q. Q., Zhu, X. J., & Cao, X. Y. (2022). Transcriptome and targeted metabolome analysis revealed the effects of combined red and blue light on the growth and secondary metabolism of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. Industrial Crops and Products, 188, 115598. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.115598
Zhao, J., Fu, Y., Luo, M., Zu, Y., Wang, W., Zhao, C., & Gu, C. (2012). Endophytic fungi from pigeon pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] produce antioxidant cajaninstilbene acid. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 60(17), 4314–4319. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf205097y
Zhao, T., Tang, H., Xie, L., Zheng, Y., Ma, Z., Sun, Q., & Li, X. (2019). Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. (Lamiaceae): A review of its traditional uses, botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 71(9), 1353–1369. https://doi.org/10.1111/jphp.13129
Zheng, Y., Zhou, S., Zhang, H., Lu, Z., Deng, R., Feng, Y., & Liu, P. (2023). Comparative study of the flavonoid content in Radix Scutellaria from different cultivation areas in China. International Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 2023, 3754549. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/3754549
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFD2200602), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2572022BU01), the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province for Outstanding Youths (YQ2023C026), the National Forestry and Grassland Science and Technology Innovation Program for Top Talented Youths (2020132611), the Heilongjiang Touyan Innovation Team Program (Tree Genetics and Breeding Innovation Team), and the 111 Project (B20088). Also, the authors gratefully acknowledge the support by the Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) Facility at the Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University.
Funding
The study was financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFD2200602), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2572022BU01), the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province for Outstanding Youths (YQ2023C026), the National Forestry and Grassland Science and Technology Innovation Program for Top Talented Youths (2020132611), the Heilongjiang Touyan Innovation Team Program (Tree Genetics and Breeding Innovation Team), and the 111 Project (B20088).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Jin-Xian Fu: data Curation, formal analysis, investigation, methodology, validation, and writing—original draft. Jiao Jiao: funding acquisition, conceptualization, investigation, methodology, project administration, supervision, and writing—review and editing. Qing-Yan Gai: funding acquisition, conceptualization, investigation, methodology, project administration, and writing—review and editing. Xiao-Jia He: investigation, methodology, validation, software, and data curation. Yu-Jie Fu: resources and funding acquisition. Xue Feng: formal analysis, investigation, and validation. Jie Gao: investigation, validation, and software.
Corresponding authors
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Fu, JX., Jiao, J., Gai, QY. et al. Improvement of Baicalein and Wogonin Yields from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi Roots Fermented by a Novel Endophytic Fungus Capable of Producing Cellulase and β-Glucosidase. Food Bioprocess Technol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-024-03347-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-024-03347-7